Snowshoe Expanding Ski Runs

Snowshoe Mountain Resort will be expanding its skiing capacity with the addition of two new trails for skiers and snowboarders, bringing the resort's number of slopes to 59 by next winter. The Pocahontas County resort and Sawmill Village, a residential development company at Snowshoe, announced a partnership today to construct the slopes for roughly $1 million. The trails will be adjacent to the Sawmill Village development in Snowshoe's South Mountain area.

Biodiesel Fuel Operation To Begin Production

Emerald Biofuels, an Illinois-based alternative energy company, has announced plans for a $15 million project to produce biodiesel fuel at the Bayer CropScience Manufacturing Industrial Park in Institute, W.Va.

Construction of the production plant is expected to begin in June, with the first shipments to follow by the end of the year. Emerald Biofuels will produce 30 million gallons of biodiesel fuel annually. At least a dozen employees already working for Bayer CropScience will support the biodiesel plant.

Company Purchase Saves Wood County Plant; Job Increases Expected

Enviro Tech International Inc. has announced it has acquired the assets of Farr Manufacturing and Engineering, a move that keeps the West Virginia plant open and preserves more than 40 manufacturing jobs in Williamstown, W.Va.. The company has plans to create 25 to 50 additional jobs. Illinois-based Enviro Tech manufactures solvents and degreasers that are used as the cleaning solvents for the degreasing equipment produced by Farr Manufacturing. FARR Manufacturing Division of the ETI Corporation will continue to produce vapor degreasing systems, solvent recovery systems, aqueous cleaning systems, heat treating furnaces and other industrial equipment. ETI's intent is to expand its Total Solution Approach to the Cleaning Industry by offering the most comprehensive capability to its customers - chemistry, equipment and expertise. The FARR Division will provide the equipment manufacturing element to our Total Solution Approach. Additionally, this operation will provide equipment for heat treating and man-made fiber processing.

Auto Parts Plant To Build Additional Facility

NGK Spark Plugs USA Inc. is building another plant in Kanawha County. The Japanese manufacturer already runs an oxygen sensor plant and distribution center in Sissonville, employing about 220 people. The new plant, to be built alongside the existing facility, will assemble spark plugs and is likely to open around the middle of next year. The company has not determined how many new jobs will be created.